cell phones were a bust!

[disgal1]

When we were there on our 10 day july 4 trip, we really had trouble with our cells. We have cingular service.
The boys went off by themselves, and at least half the time, they couldn't reach us or we them. It was so frustrating! My sister also had cingular, and we couldn't get her most of the time.

Luckily, we had prearranged meeting times, and everyone had copies of the daily plan, so we always met up. I couldn't believe how bad our phones were.

I hadn't noticed anyone else having trouble, but if you plan on staying in touch with cells, you may want to have back up meeting places.

It may have been the high volume being a holiday week.

 

[kandmwedding]

Wow! We've never had a problem using our phones, though we have Verizon. I wonder if it might be a carrier problem?

 

[Laurajean1014]

We had Nextel during our trip in April and they worked perfectly. Try another carrier.

 

[Duck/Fish]

I use Cingular and didn't have any problems this week.

 

[WendyMichaelJohn]

Did you try text messaging? Whenever we have trouble with our phones we just text message (we have cingular.) In fact, we plan on using text messaging a lot on our upcoming trip, i.e.:

Boma 5:00

In line soarin


starved! meet us at the room in an hour

or something simple like,

"WHERE ARE YOU?"

I actually plan on prewriting some text messages into my phone so I can enter them really quickly when out and about.

Has anyone had trouble with text messaging with their phones in WDW?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We have Cingular but the only place I used it was in the room at Pop - it worked in there. Thanks for the warning though, because DH and I both have phones now so I was thinking if for some reason one of us is with DS and the other goes back to the resort or something we could call each other to regroup. Maybe not!

 

[jade1]

Had 4 Verizon National Plan phones last summer that worked next to perfect anywhere from what I remember. No extra charges on the bill at all FYI. Even backed into my daughter near TOT looking for each other while on the phones.

 

[crow11ad]

Well don't get us started on Cingular. We took our Cell phones on our first trip in April of 2004 and was promised that we could talk and all this. Yes we could talk, but we were roaming. Even though no sign of roaming. So we ditched Cingular and the bill that came with it. (we paid it). We have Sprint now and took our phones with Sprint in Dec of 04. They worked great. No problemos with the cell phone. We also tried the radio thing in April of 04. Too many people on the channels. Cell phones work awsome...

 

[MandM-Mom]

Used NEXTEL in May had no problems what so ever, no roaming. We even used out Direct Connects a bunch of times. Maybey just a bad day for your carrier.

 

[minijeanie]

we have verizon service.never had a problem in park when we were there last month,

as a matter of fact, when I was in NY state, past year, out of 5 women, my phone was the only phone that actually got reception.

But, I was the only verizon phone.

 

[polyfan]

We have alltel and had no problems at all from any place we used them.

 

[Leighannapb]

If you have nextel you won't have any problems at all. If you notice most of the CMs at Disney carry nextel radios. CMs don't give out their direct connect numbers so don't bother asking. Disney has a contract with Nextel and towers are all over the place. Our phones are nextel and direct connect works great in the park. Now when you leave Disney that is another story. Nextel coverage stinks outside the park.

 

[disneyfreakjackie]

I use Cingular and didn't have any problems this week.

Cingular also . . . no problems in May!!

 

[mrFDNY]

also nextel and it worked fine.

 

[sherrycurl]

i have cingular and had no trouble using my cell phone. roaming charges are a different story. just opened my bill and got lots of roaming charges.

 

[roliepolieoliefan]

Well there's your answer as to why your cell phone didn't work....CINGULAR! You shouldn't automatically pay roaming charges if they weren't supposed to be on your bill. Last Oct, I took a trip to MD. Called in advanced to then AT&T to make sure where I would be, would be in my calling area, they said it would. Lo and behold the next month I get a bill with $100.00 of roaming charges. I called and complained, the supervisor would do nothing. I reported AT&T to the FCC. It took 7 months, but I got my money refunded.

 

[SqueakyMouse]

Wierd!! We have Cingular and had no problems during our 10 days at WDW in May. I hope we don't have difficulties with service next week!!!

 

[Luigi's Girl]

We have Verizon and have never had any problems at WDW.

 

[Firegoalie23]

i live 10 minutes from wdw and used to have cingular, service sucked, now we have nextel and have no problems.

 

[scoutsmom99]

I used cingular last fall and had no problems (would have used them in January if I hadn't forgot my phone!).